School threat trend pulls resources from psychologists and SROs [Video]

PHOENIX (AZFamily)—The trend of fake school threats is interrupting learning and also drawing resources from Arizona school psychologists, police, and SROs, who investigate these threats to determine if they are credible.

More than 130 threats in just the past three weeks have led to the arrests of 11 Valley students, ranging from 11 to 17 years old. All 11 have been charged, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne believes tackling the trend involves more armed school resource officers, so he announced $15 million to get more officers in schools.

However, a spokesperson for the National Alliance of School Resource Officers says these threats make their job more difficult.

“As you move through every post or repost, you are in the back of your mind saying, ‘Hey, is this going to happen on my campus?’” said Pamela Revels, who works for NASRO.

She adds that the rise in school threats is pulling officers away from …